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mellied1975 's review for:
Daddy-Long-Legs
by Jean Webster
I'm so torn about this one. It's humorous and charming in many ways and I love the heroine, orphan Jerusha "Judy" Abbott. Her letters to the anonymous sponsor who's paying for her college education are funny and lots of fun to read.
However,
This book was published in 1912 and in many ways it feels surprisingly modern, given Judy's spirited, sassy writing and view of the world. The romance angle is very much of its time, however, and bothered me enough that I can't give it more than 3 stars.
However,
Spoiler
I can't help feeling skeeved out by the fact that this sponsor - who she assumes is a kindly old man - is actually the thirtysomething uncle to her roommate, who befriends her in real life and gradually romances and proposes to her, all without her knowing he's the man to whom she's writing heartfelt letters. As her guardian "John Smith" he won't let her spend as much time as she wants with other, age-appropriate boys, while as her friend's Uncle Jervis he's always showing up to spend time with her himself. It's kind of creepy, like he's grooming her all along. Given how alone she is in the world it feels predatory, even though we're meant to think that he's a kind and generous man.This book was published in 1912 and in many ways it feels surprisingly modern, given Judy's spirited, sassy writing and view of the world. The romance angle is very much of its time, however, and bothered me enough that I can't give it more than 3 stars.